Letter opener



Oct. 25, 1938. fr@ scHMlD; JR.. Er AL; 2,134,536

LETTER OPENER Filed Feb. 17, 195e HII-IIEI--IIIII Patented Oct. 1938 LETTER OPENER f Theophilus Schmid, Jr., Chicago, and Andrew Benson, Wilmette, I-ll.

Application February 17, "1936, Serial No.v 64,370

3 Claims. (Gl. 12m-35) The invention Vrelates generally to letter openers and more particularly to such openers adapted for manual operation to effect opening of the letter by cutting a narrow strip from the edge In mounting the cutters I3 and I4, headed pins I8 aroused, which pins project through parallel bores I9 in thebearing plates and are xed in place by spinning out the recessed lower ends IB 0f the envelope, of the pins. When thus mounted, the cutters are The primary object of the present invention is Tetalable 0H tfllepllS I3 and their edges Ol'ellll to provide a letter opener of this character emas shown in Figures 3 and 5 so as to cut a narrow bodying rotary cutting means and adapted Vfor Strip 'I'Om iShe envelele aS determined by the Te economical and rapid production and assembly. lalOIl 0f Jthe guide Slot Il t0 the abutting Side',` i0 Another object is to provide such an opener faces of the cutters. p v l0 having an extremely small number of parts. y The handle l0 S preferably ferme@ 'from a A further object is to provide such an opener in'oldable materialsuch as Bakelite, andis relahaving blunt edged cutting means whereby to tively Vnarrow at its right end as shown in Figure avoid danger to the user. 3, With a long flat rectangular facial area 2U on l* Another object is to provide a letter opener of its upper side to receive advertising matter. In this character wherein allthe metal parts are its lower surface as shown in Figures l, 3 and '4, fully housed within a composition handle, the handle is preferably'recessed as at ZI to avoid A further object is vto provide a letter `opener excessive weight and cost, it being note'd that having two overlapping cutter elements, so conthe guide Slot is Vof full depth at points 'II" and structed as `to be fully housed and protected by II so vas `to insure eiective functioning of the the handle and yet accessible for starting actuslot even though it is of reduced depth intermediation by either a left or right handed user. ate these points.

Other objects and advantages will become ap- At its other vor left 'end the handle 'I0 is relaparent from the following description, taken in tively wide as'shown in Figures 3 and 5 'so that connection with the accompanying drawing, in the bearing plates'l and I'I, which form partei 2'5 which: the handle, project beyond the extrem-e periph; Figure 1 is a side elevation view showing a leteral edges of the cutters I3 and I4. Moreover, the ter opener embodying the features of the invenfacial area 20 as shownin Figure 5 is elevated to tion. f substantially the height of the heads of the pins Figure 2 is a rightend'view of the device shown i8. Hence all of the metallic parts of the device 30 in Figure 1l are guarded against causing undue damage to Figure 3 is a topplan view of saidV device. desk finishes and the like. Particularly, it should Figure 4 is a section view taken along the line be noted that the metallic cutters I3 and IAV are 4-4 of Figure 1. housed by the bearing plates of the handle I0. Figure 5 is an enlarged left 'end view or" Fig- As a feature of advantage in the manufacture, 35 ure 1. l l assembly and use of the device, the particular Figures 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views of the form, relationship and mounting of the cutters I two cutter assemblies showing the individual are of importance. Thus, the cutters in the presparts thereof. ent device are constructed to embody safe blunt 10 For purposes of disclosure herein the invencutting edges arranged Vto be held in operative 40.

tion is illustrated as embodied in a manually oprelation without the use of springs, and all of the erable letter opener having an elongated body or parts are so formed as to permit manufacture handle I0 with avlongitudinally extending guide thereof by means of relatively automatic maslot I I formed in one broad face thereof for paschinery. sage of the edge of a letter longitudinally there- As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the cutters I3 and 45 through and provided with overlapping rotary I4 are duplicates, and are formed by punching cutters I3 and I4 mounted in the handle in such from saw steel. After the punching operation, v a position as to trim a narrow strip from an enin which a central hole 26 is formed, a large numvelope in such movement. ber of the cutter disks are clamped together on a As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cutters I3 and long rod (not shown) and ground to provide an -50 I4 are mounted in the left hand end of the hanaccurately cylindrical outer face 21 (Figures. 6 dle I0 in a slot I5 formed between a projecting and '7). This operation may be performed on a upperl bearing plate I6 and parallel projecting conventional centerless grinder. lower bearing plates I1 which dene opposite As a means for supporting the cutters I3 and sides of guide slot Il at said end of the handle, I4 on the pins I8, bearing sleeves or members 29 55 and 30 are provided, and preferably these members 29 and 30 are provided with integral positioning flanges or disks 3| and 32 which are of substantially the same diameter as the cutters and adapted to bear overlap and bear laterallyl against each other to produce proper lateral relationship of the two cutters I3 and I4. Thus the sleeve 29 (Figure 6) projects a substantial distance in each direction from its positioning disk 3| and one projecting end 29 is of a reduced diameter so that it may project through the central hole 26 ofthe cutter with a press t. In this assembly operation the cutter I 4 is pressed firmly against the positioning disk 3| (Figure 5).

On the sleeve 30, the integral positioning disk 32 is formed relatively close to one end as shown in Figure '7, and between the disk 32 and the other end of the sleeve 30 the sleeve is formed to provide for proper spacing and mounting of the cutter I4. Thus this portion of the sleeve 30 has a reduced end 30' of a diameter arranged to project through the central hole 26 of the cutter I4 with a press t. The reduced end 39 defines an abutment shoulder 3U spaced from therdiskan axial distance equal substantially to the combined thickness of the cutter I3 and its positioning disk 3|. Thus the disk 3| and its cutter I3 may run between the disk 3.2 and the cutter I4 to hold the two cutters in the desiredv lateral relationship.

After the cutters have been pressed into position on their bearing sleeves, the two cutter units are ready for mounting in the handle I0, and this operation is relatively simple.V It will be'noted that the sleeves 29 and 39 are of such a length as to provide a slight clearance between the ends of the sleeves and the bearing plates I 6 and I1.

It will be noted that the edges of the disks 3| and 32. as well as the edges of the cutters 'I3 and I4 are blunt so that the user may contact any of these edges to impart a slight starting movement to one of the cutters. Such starting movement is usually effected by contacting the'cutter atv the point A (Figure 3), and it will be noted that either cutter may be engaged for thisgpurpose. Thus the device is capable of efficient use by `either the right or left hand. In the preferred ,form shown the edges of both theldisksl and 32 areY knurled to facilitate such startingof either of the cutters. Y. ,A y

In the manufacture of the present letter opener the mounting or bearing sleeves 29 and 30 are made of such a length as to provide a slight clearance between the ends of the sleeves and the bearing plates I6 and I'I. The desired relationship of the two cutters is maintained by the projection of the parts I3 and 3| into the space between the parts I4 and-32of the other assembly, and sucient clearance is provided between these parts to permit the two cutter assemblies to rotate quite freely relative to each other.

As a practical matter the sleeves and their associated positioning disks are in the present case formed from brass which can be readily Worked by conventional automatic screw machines. In such manufacture of the sleeve elements the dimensions may be held within close limits so as to insure proper Working relationship between the parts after assembly, even though the assembly operations are of a simple character. It has been found that the present opener operates without a manual starting operation when used upon envelopes of medium or relatively stiff grade and that a manual starting operation is required only when the device s used on exceptionally heavy envelopes or upon crumpled or relatively thin envelopes.

We claim as our invention:

1. A letter opener having, in combination, a handle, with a mounting slot therein, a pair of parallel pins extending across said slot, a pair of sleeves one mounted on each pin, a pair of circular cutters one mounted on each sleeve, said cutters being of such a diameter asv to overlap and abut laterally, a positioning disk formed integrally with one of said sleeves and extending parallel to the cutter in spaced relation thereto, the other cutter having its edge extending into the space between said disk and the spaced cutter in lateral abutment with-said spaced cutter, and a positioning disk formed integrally with the other sleeve and positioned to extend into said space in lateral abutment with the other positioning disk.

2. A letter opener comprising, in combination, a body constituting a handle, said body having intersecting mounting and guide slots, a pair of parallel pins spanning said mounting slot on 0pposite sides of said guide slot, a pair of sleeves one rotatably mounted on each of said pins within said mounting slot, a pair of square edged cutters one mounted on each of said sleeves, said cutters being sized to overlap and abut laterally, and lrigid means formed integrally with said sleeves operable to maintain said cutters in substantial lateral contact.

3. A letter opener having in combination a handle, having a mounting slot therein, a pair of parallel pins extending across said slot in spaced. relation, a pair of sleeves, one mounted on each of said pins, each of said sleeves having-a ,positioning disk'thereon arranged to overlap and 'run laterally against each other, a steel cutter mounted on one sleeve with one side in abutment with the disk of one of said sleeves and 'on the side opposite from the other disk, and a steel cutter mounted on the other sleeve arranged to run laterally against the other side'of said other cutter.

THEOPHILUS SCHMID, JR. ANDREW BENSON. 

